A Place For Everything - Even In Tight Spaces

Rental living - Small spaces

When People Move To Smaller Living Quarters, It's Important To Know What To Keep And What To Give Away.

February 12, 2000|By Christine Brun

Once the kids have grown up and moved out, many older couples or individuals opt to move to smaller quarters.

This gives them a lot of freedom from cleaning all that space and maintaining all that ``stuff,'' but it also involves making decisions about what moves to the new home and what must be left behind.

Recently I spent a weekend helping my parents move from our family home into a remodeled beach condo they have owned for the past decade. The experience was an education in how to make decisions.

Most important, don't panic and get rid of items that others in your family might treasure.

My mom pitched things that some of us rescued when we stopped by during the assault. A cedar chest full of vintage clothes and a wonderful antique oak hall tree would have wound up on the curb if I hadn't claimed them.

Before the move, start doling out your children's artwork, baby clothes and old games. This is a good way to make your kids responsible for family mementos.

If you are in doubt about whether you'll have room for your records and books, either take the boxes with you initially or ask a family member to store them until you become better acquainted with the storage capacity of your new home. If your shelves fill up or you find you can live without your records, you can always dispose of them later.

Be practical about basic food preparation items. If you no longer prepare huge turkey dinners, consider giving the roaster and platter to someone who does. The same goes for a bulky juice extractor or electric frying pan.

Save your shelf space for the things you do use, such as four water glasses, four dinner plates, four salad plates and four coffee mugs. Arrange these pieces that you use daily on the lowest shelves for easy accessibility. Go through your utensil drawer and keep only the most often-used items.

Realize that you probably don't need all the plastic storage tubs you've accumulated over the years.

But do save room for some of the most sentimental items - heirloom china, an old tea set, the champagne glasses you used at your wedding. These can be stashed on a higher shelf and brought out for display on special occasions.

As you unpack, put heavy objects on low shelves. Remember that it is difficult to climb a utility stool and reach overhead for a stack of heavy dishes or photo albums.

Forget how you managed space in the past and do whatever works best for you now. This is a new adventure in which you have the opportunity to arrange things for your needs and convenience.

It's a fact that you won't have enough space for everything you would like to keep, but some useful products can stretch the space you do have.

Look for plastic boxes that mount on the insides of cupboard doors, perfect for lids, saved grocery bags, toiletries or cleaning products.

When every inch counts, doors can double as storage space for hanging just about anything. An over-the-door towel rack works well for hanging wet clothes and towels.

Use it also for umbrellas, robes and laundry bags.

Stainless-steel racks are great in the kitchen, bathroom or office where you have a little wall space. These narrow shelves hold everything from cooking spices to nail polish to coffee cups hung on hooks.

You'll have to make some hard decisions, but set your own priorities. It could be that back copies of your favorite magazine are more important to you than old family linens.

And treat yourself well during the time you're sorting and moving. A move is always disturbing and disruptive, but if you plan and organize your new home well, soon you'll be able to relax and enjoy it.